Jaguars rout Raiders 49-11

JACKSONVILLE, Fla.  Fred Taylor started right, cut back left, broke a tackle, waited patiently for a downfield block, then strolled into the end zone.

His 62-yard touchdown run on Jacksonville's opening play set the tone for Sunday's 49-11 rout of the Oakland Raiders.

Taylor finished with 111 yards as the Jaguars (11-4) won for the sixth time in seven games and clinched the No. 5 seed in the AFC playoffs.

So much for a letdown after last week's big win at Pittsburgh. So much for a Pro Bowl hangover. And so much for having to worry about winning at nemesis Houston in the season finale.

In fact, Jacksonville could use next week to rest several starters and prepare for the first round of the playoffs.

Coach Jack Del Rio even got a jump on that Sunday, pulling Taylor, quarterback David Garrard and several others in the blowout.

The Raiders (4-11), who suffered their worst loss of the season, finally turned things over to No. 1 draft pick JaMarcus Russell. Although it might help down the road, it was pretty much disastrous against Jacksonville.

Russell was 7-of-23 for 83 yards with a touchdown  a 2-yard pass to Zach Miller with 6 seconds remaining  three interceptions and a fumble.

Josh McCown started the game, but gave way to Russell after two series. McCown returned when Russell briefly got knocked out of the game.

No matter which one of them was under center, the Raiders were overmatched in their first game in Jacksonville.

They looked like a team that has lost nine of 11. They looked like a West Coast team struggling to find a rhythm after traveling across the country and then playing what would be a 10 a.m. start at home.

They looked like a team ready for the offseason.

Jacksonville scored touchdowns on its first four possessions, with drives of one, seven, one and three plays.

Taylor started it off. He picked up 5 yards on Jacksonville's first snap, but the Raiders were flagged for having 12 men on the field.

With just 11, no one could tackle Taylor. He ran only seven times, but finished with his fifth consecutive 100-yard game.

Maurice Jones-Drew and Garrard also had scoring runs, and Garrard threw a short TD pass to Greg Jones to round out the first-half scoring.

Garrard's second TD pass was a 37-yarder to Matt Jones, who outjumped Fabian Washington near the goal line and then punted the ball into the stands.

Garrard was 11-of-18 for 199 yards with an interception, his third of the season.

The pick came at the end of a strange series that including four unsportsmanlike conduct penalties against the Raiders and the ejection of defensive tackle Warren Sapp.

It started when Jacksonville right tackle Tony Pashos was flagged for illegal use of hands to the face.

Officials said the Raiders declined the penalty, and the Jaguars lined up for a 43-yard field goal attempt with 21 seconds to play in the first half. Officials then said Oakland would accept the penalty, making it third-and-20 from the Raiders 35-yard line.

Jacksonville's offense went back on the field, but a few seconds later, Sapp was called for the first unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. That gave the Jaguars an automatic first down, and Sapp started jawing at officials.

Sapp and defensive end Derrick Burgess were both flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct penalties during the arguments. Sapp kept talking, and he got a third one that also came with an ejection.

Teammates had to restrain Sapp, and an assistant coach escorted him off the field.

The penalties gave the Jaguars a first-and-goal at the 2, but Garrard's pass at the goal line was intercepted by Kirk Morrison and returned 36 yards.